February 2015 by Becky Robinson and Kayla Christiano

The movement to save cats has been gaining steam for 25 years and while TNR and other no-kill initiatives are in the news every day, it can still feel like your community isn’t changing at all. You’re angry and frustrated that your local shelter or animal control impounds and kills healthy animals and you wish someone would step in and fix it. After all, you’re only one person, right? The truth is, it only takes one compassionate person to trigger community-wide changes that will save countless cats’ lives. Let the stories of other heroes inspire you and learn the steps you can take right now — by yourself or with a handful of friends — to be a hero for your community’s cats.

About Becky Robinson

Becky Robinson is President and Founder of Alley Cat Allies. Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year with more than half a million supporters, Alley Cat Allies is the nation’s only advocacy organization and recognized authority on cats. Alley Cat Allies leads the movement to protect and improve the lives of all domestic cats. Founded in 1990, Alley Cat Allies is leading a national change in how communities and institutions view and treat cats.

Since Robinson spread the practice of TNR in the U.S. 25 years ago, two states—Illinois
and Utah—and the District of Columbia have adopted TNR-friendly laws, and more than 450 local governments have ordinances regarding TNR. Working directly with volunteers, Alley Cat Allies has helped humanely reduce the size of cat colonies through TNR. Alley Cat Allies developed best practices for Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for feral cats in the U.S. that are still in place today. Robinson also launched three spay/neuter clinics in the Washington, D.C., area that serve as models for feral cat veterinary care.

Robinson holds an M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas
City and a B.A. in Social Work from Bethany College. She lives with her husband and felines in Arlington, Va., where they care for community cats in their neighborhood.